Tamagoya! Ramen

We are in search of the best ramen in Manila and, so far, Ukkokei Ramen Ron is leading, with Ramen Bar and Shinjuku battling for the second spot.

We heard about this noodle house in Antipolo by Mr. Abe that foodies are raving about. My Japanese foodie friend Atsushi Matsuuraconfirmed that. "I really think their ramen is the best in the PH so far. Yeah, RON could be best, but considering 'cost', I will vote Tamagoya."

Marikina and Antipolo foodies have been keeping this restaurant a foodie secret for some time now. Well, the secret is out, and it is worth driving all the way to Antipolo just to savor one of the best ramens in Manila. :)

Tamagoya! is located in the lower part of Antipolo, which is near Marikina already. We had to go there on a Sunday via Marcos Highway because, on a regular day, there's heavy traffic in this area. Turn left at the intersection of Sumulong Highway (this intersection has slightly heavy traffic due to the tricycles). Take note that if you turn right, you'll be going up to Antipolo.

You need to go straight until you see a Petron Gas station on your left. Turn right into Soliven Avenue. There, you'll see the big Tamagoya! sign immediately on your left.

I love its authentic Japanese ambiance. The ramen dishes are affordable at less than P180 (only cash is accepted). There is no service charge and the waiters do not accept tips.

The first floor has a noodle bar and two small tables. The owner, Mr. Abe, is always in the kitchen.

We decided to stay on the second floor, which was then crowded with families and groups. You can call to reserve a table in advance.

The acoustics are bad, though. People's voices immediately bounce back from the cement walls. Not a good idea to talk about business there, but it would be a pleasant enough place for chitchat with friends and family.

Yaki Gyoza (6pcs. - P98). Japanese pan-fried dumplings.

We started with the gyoza, which was cooked well and served with a tasty dipping sauce.

★ Gomoku Ramen (P168). Noodles with mixed vegetables and seafood.

This seafood ramen is their best seller. We loved the soup, which was thicker than most other ramen served in Manila. Plus, it had a deeper flavor. The ramen noodle itself was wonderful to munch on -- fat, bouncy and cooked al dente.

★ Stamina Ramen (P168). Noodles with chilli miso paste-based soup.

For the chili lovers out there, you have to try this dish. It has the right level of spiciness. It may look like you are eating curry sauce or laksa, but it has its own distinct, spicy ramen flavor.

★ Hiyashi Chuka (P158). Cold salad noodles.

This is a dry and cold noodle. We loved how it was a nice constrast to the super hot ramen option. The ramen itself was good already, and the vegetable and meat toppings just added texture and additional flavor.

★ Yakiniku Don (P158). Stir-fried beef with special sauce rice bowl.

The meat was tender and went well with their sweet signature sauce (way better than the other more-commercialized copycats). We recommend this rice topping as a good alternative to the noodles.

I live in markina and would drive to makati for my shinjuku ramen fix. But sadly it seems their makati branch is closed. Looks like the land is being prepared to be torn down. And so I searched for any news as to why it was barricaded and I ended up here on your page. I'm so glad I did because I tried tamagoya upon your review and for the past week I have been going every day for dinner. I have tried everything on their menu and their service ladies giggle whenever I pop in. I will have to shake mr. Abe's hand and thank him. Tamagoya ramen is very very very good and I have tried them all. They stopped serving their chilled cold noodles though. I did not ask why. It was marked off the menu with tape. And price wise it cannot be beat. I pass by this area so many times thinking it was just another rai rai Ken spinoff but my god was I wrong. Their gyoza has the same similar taste as shinjuku but tiny in comparison. But again it's cheap. I will ask mr Abe to come up with a yasai itame variant I hope he puts on his menu. Thanks Anton.

I tried the Stamina Ramen. The spiciness was just right but the bowl was so big, it took me 30 minutes to finish it. My friends and I tried the other ramen; we needed to share for us to finish everything. Thank you for the tip! It is really good!